KAREN FERRIS - KEYNOTE SPEAKER
ABOUT KAREN
Karen Ferris is a globally recognised thought leader, award-winning industry contributor, esteemed author, and keynote speaker in the fields of leadership, organisational change, workforce resilience, and cultural transformation. With over 25 years of experience advising C-suite leaders, government agencies, private and not-for-profit companies. Karen equips organisations to thrive through change by shifting mindsets, not systems.
Her mission: Help leaders unlearn outdated practices and embrace new, adaptive ways of thinking.
Karen is the author of multiple acclaimed books, including:
· Be REMARKABLE! Learn to Unlearn: The New Leadership Mindset
· Game On! Change is Constant
· Balanced Diversity: A Portfolio Approach to Organisational Change.
· Unleash The Resiliator Within: A Handbook for Leaders
· Unleash The Resiliator Within: A Handbook for Individuals
She’s also the creator of the Leadership Mindset Maturity Diagnostic and a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator.
KEYNOTE TOPICS
1. Learn to Unlearn: The New Leadership Mindset
What got us here won’t get us there. In this provocative keynote, Karen shares why leaders must let go of legacy thinking and adopt a mindset of continuous unlearning and relearning to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.
· Understand the impact of outdated leadership models
· Learn the six dimensions of the new leadership mindset
· Discover how to embed learning agility into your culture
2. Silence: The Organisation Killer
Innovation dies in silence. Karen unpacks why psychological safety is no longer optional - it’s essential. Leaders will learn how to foster environments where people feel safe to speak up, make mistakes, and challenge the status quo.
· Decode the foundations of psychological safety
· Recognise the cost of silence and disengagement
· Build trust through listening and vulnerability
3. Game On! Change is Constant. Tactics To Win When Leading Change is Everyone's Business
Karen ingeniously explores how organisations must respond to constant change using the analogy of a soccer match. Every game played is different. The ground condition, the weather, the supporters, the opposition, the game tactics, the team composition, and player positions have all changed. All the changes have one purpose: to win the game.
Players do not resist change. They say Game On! Your organisation can play the game like a winning team.
· View change as a constant opportunity to evolve
· The role of managers, coaches and players
· Understand the competencies of a winning team
4. Unleash the Resiliator Within
Karen will introduce you to The Resiliator. The Resiliator thrives in the face of constant change, possessing a multitude of superpowers that enable them to do so.
A workforce of Resiliators is equipped with the superpowers they need to combat the concern, stress, and anxiety that comes with unrelenting and often volatile change.
· Busting the myths about resilience
· Discover The Resiliator and the superpowers for leaders and the superpowers for individuals
· Putting it into practice
5. From Command and Control to Empowerment and Trust
The future of work is the future of leadership.
Karen explores how the new era of work has made employee empowerment and a foundation of trust an imperative for high-performing teams. Many leaders provide employees with autonomy, allowing them to shape their work environment so they can perform to the best of their ability.
Understand the need for empowerment and trust
· How to transition from a position of command and control
· Prevent and eliminate micromanagement in the workplace
PAST AUDIENCES
· IT Service Management Forum Australia Annual Conference
· IT Service Management Forum New Zealand Annual Conference
· Housing Plus Leadership Forum
· PMO Leader Annual Conference
· VMCH Senior Leadership Convention
· Coles Change Management Seminar
· Brookfield Properties Senior Leadership Offsite
· Agile Lean International Conference
TESTIMONIALS
“It brings me great pleasure to endorse Karen for her outstanding speaking abilities. Her recent presentation at our ITSM Webinar demonstrated not only her profound expertise but also her captivating presence before an audience. Karen exudes professionalism and is highly knowledgeable in her field. I recommend her for any industry events.”
Regional Marketing Specialist, Zoho Corp
Clear. Concise. On-point. Relevant. Practical.
All we’ve all come to know, respect and rely on from the insightful mind of Karen Ferris.
Your fans are always surprised by you and how you show up and lovingly challenge us to show up to be and become the leaders we want to be!
Principal, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, WinThinking
“I was so impressed with Karen when I saw her speak at a conference in Holland that I knew there and then I would arrange for her to speak at an itSMF Ireland event in the future. And so, I did. Karen is a world-class speaker whom I would have no hesitation in recommending.
Director, itSMF Ireland
BOOK KAREN
Interested in booking Karen for your next event?
Watch the Speaker Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qkUEDZQ5Z0
Email: karen@karenferris.com
Website: https://karenferris.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenferris-resilience-change-management/
Let’s create a keynote experience your audience won’t forget.